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Going Beyond Pardon

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 9, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 44.

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Going Beyond Pardon

By A. S. Booth

Steps by Which the Unpardonable Sin Is Committed

Special Cases as Illustrations

"KEEP back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Ps. 19: 13.
The foregoing text is remarkable from the standpoint that it has to do with the perfect life, the presumptuous sins, and the great transgression, or unpardonable sin.
God has set before the human family the perfect life. The law of God is a perfect standard, and Jesus is a perfect example of commandment keeping. We are admonished to keep the commandments of the Lord, and follow in the footsteps of the Master. In order that we may live the perfect life, all power in heaven and earth is pledged to us. It is as easy for the Lord to give power to gain victory over all sins, as over one. The same faith that brings the assurance that our sins are forgiven, should grasp the power of God to overcome sin.

PROVISIONS OF MERCY

The Lord has also made provision that, if we fail to live the perfect life, mercy will be extended to us. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2: 1. The great mistake is made when we take this provision, which the Lord has so graciously offered to us, as a license to sin. Known sin is the sin that prevents our prayers from being heard. When we willfully disobey the commandments of the Lord, and refuse to walk in His ways, we are doing very presumptuously. The presumptuous sin is a step toward the unpardonable act.
The Christian should be so educated that just as soon as he sees he is doing wrong, committing sin, he will confess at once, and turn from the evil thing. We should not permit the sun to go down on our sins. In other words, the going down of the sun closes the day, and we should not let a day pass into eternity without being right with the Lord.

MAY GO NEVER TO RETURN

The Holy Spirit will not always plead with the hearts of men. There is such a thing as resisting the Spirit to such a degree that it will be driven away, and not return. Those who do so, have committed the great transgression, or the unpardonable sin. If we are careful relative to the presumptuous sins, we need not worry about the unpardonable sin; for the presumptuous sins are those that grieve the good Spirit of God, and cause us eventually to go too far. Then the Lord will withdraw His Spirit entirely from us.
As David prayed, "Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins: . . . then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression," so ought we to pray. Make thorough work of the confession of sin. To do otherwise is presumptuous.

SAUL TOOK THE FATAL STEP

Saul committed the unpardonable sin. His mistake especially was in being partial in the keeping of the commandments of the Lord. God told him to destroy his enemies, the Amalekites, utterly. Saul performed some of the commandment, but spared the best of the sheep and cattle, and also Agag, the king.
That which he refused to do, robbed him of all the blessing. He was willing to do some of the commandments of God, but not all. We are told in the Bible, that if we break one of the commandments, we are guilty of all. James 2: 10. It is much easier to keep all of God's law, by His help and the blessing of heaven, than to attempt to keep part in our own strength. And what incentive is there to go part of the way, and stop short enough to lose the blessing, as did poor Saul?

CAIN'S SIN WAS UNPARDONABLE

Cain, too, committed the unpardonable sin. He brought a substitute offering. There was no blood in his offering. He brought a perverted ordinance, of the fruit of the ground. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Cain went so far in his rebellion and presumptuousness, that the Lord pronounced the curse upon him, and there was no remedy for him. We should be careful to observe the ordinances of the Lord. The ordinance of humility, the Lord's Supper, and baptism should be faithfully carried out by the church of God, lest we be found to pervert that which is holy in God's sight.

JUDAS YIELDED TO MONEY

Judas also committed the great transgression of going beyond the forbearance of God. The love of money caused him to make the great mistake of selling his Lord. The Master knew the weakness of Judas, and labored many times for him. The critical time came at the last supper. Said the Lord, "That thou doest, do quickly," or, in other words: "Judas, if you are going to yield your heart to the Lord, do so quickly. The Holy Spirit is pleading with you for the last time. It is your last chance. Repent before it is too late." Judas passed the opportunity by, and lost all.
The name of Judas comes to us branded with infamy. When he sold his Lord for a few pieces of silver, he sold his soul, and all hope of eternal life. The sin of selling the Lord for the pleasures and riches of the world is the mistake of all mistakes.
The special sins that led Saul, Cain, and Judas to commit the unpardonable sin were, being partial in the keeping of the commandments of God, bringing a substitute offering, and the love of money. May God keep us from these mistakes.